The Foreign Secretary's Mansion House Speech 2025
The Foreign Secretary delivers his 2025 Mansion House Speech.
My Lord Mayor, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen바카라 사이트�
thank you for hosting me.
My thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad this morning.
I have been in touch with Minister Jaishankar to offer my condolences바카라 사이트�
and the Foreign Office has stood up a crisis team to support British nationals and their families.
Tonight, I want to speak about power.
This is an audience which will understand that바카라 사이트�
because the City바카라 사이트檚 financial power scales up every innovation바카라 사이트�
and powers up the world economy.
Thank you for what you do.
I became MP for Tottenham 25 years ago.
I바카라 사이트檒l be honest with you바카라 사이트�
I didn바카라 사이트檛 feel that powerful for many of those years.
It was a long wait to become Foreign Secretary바카라 사이트�
though not nearly as long as the wait for Tottenham to win a European trophy.
Politics and supporting Spurs바카라 사이트�
if you stick at them바카라 사이트�
pay off in the end.
I also want to thank the tens of thousands of diplomats, intelligence officers and development specialists바카라 사이트�
that stand up for Britain in the world.
Together바카라 사이트�
we바카라 사이트檝e tackled wars, evacuations, hurricanes, 바카라 사이트�
and thanks to your work바카라 사이트�
much of it classified바카라 사이트�
we are all safer바카라 사이트�
even if your Foreign Secretary is now a little greyer바카라 사이트�
a little thinner바카라 사이트�
and, I hope, a little wiser.
We do our work in the shadow of history.
Coming here tonight, I think of Anthony Eden, one of the first Foreign Secretaries to speak in this tradition.
But I do not think this is the new 1930s.
The more compelling reference point is 1925.
A century ago, our world was experiencing what the great historian Adam Tooze called a deluge of modernity.
New technologies바카라 사이트�
new industries바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hifted the balance of power.聽
There is a cheap reading of the 1920s바카라 사이트β�
that a Second World War was inevitable.
However, I바카라 사이트檓 not sure it was.聽
With the Locarno Treaties in 1925바카라 사이트�
we almost got there.
Ultimately though, democracy failed to keep the peace.
I look back at 1925 today바카라 사이트�
because 2025 is also a molten moment바카라 사이트�
when the earth moves.
What we are living through is in fact a Great Remaking바카라 사이트�
as modernity leaps forward and reshapes geopolitics.
In 2025, technology is power.
Nowhere do we see this more clearly than with China바카라 사이트�
a great civilisation with a long history바카라 사이트�
but today defined as much by their technological cutting edge as anything else.
Take DeepSeek바카라 사이트�
revealing Chinese AI power.
BYD바카라 사이트檚 export boom바카라 사이트�
revealing Chinese battery power.
And the Chang바카라 사이트檈-6 moon landing바카라 사이트�
revealing Chinese space power.
We cannot ignore how the West and Russia are no longer alone on the technological frontier.
Nor can we ignore the fact that China has installed more renewables capacity than the US, EU and India combined.
Britain will be dealing with the threats and opportunities Chinese technology poses for generations to come.
But it is the United States바카라 사이트�
Britain바카라 사이트檚 closest ally바카라 사이트�.
that is the world바카라 사이트檚 leading technological power바카라 사이트�
number one when it comes to biotech, AI and quantum.
But facing such a vast challenge, it is natural the Americans will focus more on the Indo-Pacific.
And they바카라 사이트檝e repeatedly told us, facing Russia, we in Europe need to rely more on ourselves.
But to quote my friend Vice-President Vance:
바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 completely ridiculous to think you바카라 사이트檙e ever going to be able to drive a wedge between the US and Europe.바카라 사이트�
I agree with J.D. Vance바카라 사이트�
though maybe not when it comes to his love for Diet Mountain Dew바카라 사이트�
I prefer a full fat Coke.
The United States and China are doing remarkable things with new technology.
But this is the truth about power today바카라 사이트�
technology is making it more diffuse.
Power is not just in the hands of the superstates바카라 사이트�
nor the super-spoiler, Putin바카라 사이트檚 Russia.聽
Many powers are shaping this multipolar age.
Since 2000, Britain has more Nobel laureates for science than China, India and Russia combined.
South Korea makes more advanced semiconductors than China.
The UAE has reached Mars바카라 사이트�
whilst Russia hasn바카라 사이트檛 been since the collapse of the USSR.
In 1997, when my party last came to power바카라 사이트�
the US held the majority of the world바카라 사이트檚 top supercomputers.
Today, barely a third.
The cast-list of players is growing.
When the US talks to Russia, they both head to Riyadh바카라 사이트�
when they talk to China, they both come to London.
This large group of states, together, are the new great powers.
This is also our age.
Your Excellencies, that바카라 사이트檚 why I want to work even more closely with even more of you바카라 사이트�
some as allies, some as partners바카라 사이트�
some of you on everything, some of you on single issues.
We are not all the same.
We do not agree on everything.
But together, we can build new constellations and coalitions which give us all a seat at the table.
This is at the heart of our offer to the Global South and our new Approach to the continent Africa.
It is the core of what I mean by progressive realism.
Cooperation, not condescension.
Listening, not lectures.
A realpolitik of progress.
For Britain, progressive realism means listening바카라 사이트�
deepening바카라 사이트�
and toughening up.
For years바카라 사이트�
friends from Africa to Eastern Europe have been saying Britain needs to do more to tackle dirty money.
Kleptocrats and money launderers rob all our citizens of wealth and security.
We don바카라 사이트檛 need to wait for superpowers바카라 사이트�
we can clamp down on blatant theft ourselves.
And so I can announce today that London will host a Countering Illicit Finance Summit바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ringing together a broad coalition for action.
I will never allow London mansions to be the bitcoin of kleptocrats.
We will expose them.
We will punish them.
And drive them out of our city.
In the Middle East, I personally find the horrific suffering of civilians in Gaza intolerable.
We all want to see an immediate ceasefire바카라 사이트�
the release of all the hostages바카라 사이트�
the end of Hamas바카라 사이트� reign of terror.
That바카라 사이트檚 why Britain is leading efforts to break the deadlock through new coalitions.
I can hear others바카라 사이트� desire for peace.
With France and Canada바카라 사이트�
we sent a clear warning in May that Israel must stop its assault on Gaza.
With Australia, Canada, Norway and New Zealand바카라 사이트�
we바카라 사이트檝e sanctioned those inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank바카라 사이트�
the territory that must form the heart of a future Palestinian state.
We support the Gulf바카라 사이트檚 indispensable work on mediation and a plan for the day after.
Because the two-state solution is the only path to a lasting peace.
But progressive realism is not only about this바카라 사이트�
but deepening Britain바카라 사이트檚 alliances and partnerships.
We actually delivered three deals in two weeks with three of the world바카라 사이트檚 greatest economies.
And that바카라 사이트檚 not all we바카라 사이트檝e achieved 바카라 사이트� we are injecting real momentum into so many of Britain바카라 사이트檚 partnerships.
We바카라 사이트檙e delivering deals for climate바카라 사이트�
launching the Global Clean Power Alliance in Brazil바카라 사이트�
partnering with my friend Mia Mottley바카라 사이트檚 Bridgetown Initiative바카라 사이트�
securing a climate tech partnership with Qatar.
Jobs in Cambridge, jobs in Southampton.
We바카라 사이트檙e delivering deals for defence바카라 사이트�
the ITAR breakthrough with our AUKUS partners바카라 사이트�
progress in our new fighter jet programme with Italy and Japan.
Jobs in Glasgow, jobs in Reading.
We바카라 사이트檙e delivering deals for growth바카라 사이트�
massive investments from America바카라 사이트檚 Universal바카라 사이트�
Japan바카라 사이트檚 car giants바카라 사이트�
German manufacturers바카라 사이트�
and Saudi investors.
Jobs in Bedford, jobs in north Wales, jobs in Northern Ireland.
Crucially, we바카라 사이트檙e also delivering deals on irregular migration.
Better cooperation with the Balkans바카라 사이트�
new returns agreements with Iraq and Moldova바카라 사이트�
the world바카라 사이트檚 first sanctions regime targeting smuggling gangs and their enablers.
This is now a priority for the Foreign Office in a way it never was before.
This is us playing our bit ensuring those with no right to be here piling pressure on our public services.
When partners step up on irregular migration바카라 사이트�
this is transforming our wider relationship.
But if they are unwilling to do so바카라 사이트�
then that has to have consequences for what we can offer them in return.
And finally, progressive realism is about toughening up.
I came into politics inspired by the generation who were tested by war in Bosnia and Kosovo.
My generation here in Europe is the Kyiv generation바카라 사이트�
one that has toughened up.
The view from that night train to visit President Zelenskyy is not simply out into darkness바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ut into history in the making.
You feel what a journey Europe has been on since 2022.
Britain has toughened up.
As Secretary of State for GCHQ and SIS바카라 사이트�
I am proud that we are investing 拢600 million in the UK intelligence community바카라 사이트�
so our spies can defend our way of life.
As a result, I can confirm today that Britain will spend two point six per cent of GDP on defence from 2027.
This is a generational uplift바카라 사이트�
keeping working people safe.
Our soldiers and our intelligence staff are ready to compete with our adversaries.
And with the new counter-hybrid taskforce I am announcing today바카라 사이트�
our diplomats too will be ready for this murky new age of sabotage and subterfuge바카라 사이트�
where technology is power.
And I know바카라 사이트�
Europe has toughened up too바카라 사이트�
switching to Putin-free energy바카라 사이트�
as the EU goes further than ever before with common borrowing for military spending.
Putin believes that we, as Europeans, are unable to stick it out for years to come.
But just as Ukraine바카라 사이트檚 heroes have surprised the Kremlin with their endurance바카라 사이트�
so too has Europe been astounding the Kremlin with our dogged persistence in standing with Zelenskyy.
Today, we had confirmation that Russian casualties in this senseless war have reached one million.
Every one a reminder that this war is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people바카라 사이트�
but a waste of young Russian lives바카라 사이트�
yet more blood on the Kremlin바카라 사이트檚 hands.
With grit, we will prove Putin wrong.
Europe is not afraid to stand up and fight.
Our Plan for Change바카라 사이트�
our international strategy바카라 사이트�
is delivering for working people.
I can see Britain in the years to come바카라 사이트�
safer바카라 사이트�
greener바카라 사이트�
richer바카라 사이트�
happier바카라 사이트�
if we stick to the Plan.
For me, patriotism has always been about realism바카라 사이트�
And, of course, football!
Taking the world as it is, not as we wish it to be.
Taking ourselves as we are, and being proud of it.
Taking actions that are both astute and bold.
This is our realpolitik.
A realpolitik of progress.
A realpolitik for Britain.
Thank you.